Everyday Use By Alice Walker Analysis Essay

Critical Analysis: “Everyday use” by Alice Walker

In the short story, “Everyday use”, the main theme is: the true meaning of family heritage. Alice Walker does a marvelous job in sharing the story of a family’s heritage, and the importance of it. The African American culture in the 1970’s, was very difficult for them to fit in socially, which would show why they are so close and take their family heritage to heart. Walker uses an abundance of themes, symbolism, and imagery to share the story of Mama and Dee.

To begin with, Walker displays a family who disagrees on the way they think how one should be true to their culture. Heritage plays a massive role in this novel. Dee wants to leave her family, however, Dee wishes to take items from

They had been pieced by Grandma Dee and then Big Dee and me had hung them on the quilt ftames on the ftont porch and quilted them. One was in the Lone Stat pattetn. The other was Walk Around the Mountain. In both of them were scraps of dresses Grandma Dee had wotn fifty and more years ago. Bits and pieces of Grandpa Jattell's Paisley shirts. And one teeny faded blue piece, about the size of a penny matchbox, that was from Great Grandpa Ezra's unifotm that he wore in the Civil War. (Walker 5)

Therefore, the quilts act as a symbol of the family’s heritage, which is why mama struggles with giving them away to Dee. It is as if Mama would be getting rid of her heritage, and everything she has ever known.

Next, family is everything. "No, Mama,” she says. "Not 'Dee,' Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo!” "What happened to ‘Dee'?" I wanted to know. "She's dead," Wangero said. "I couldn’t bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress me" (Walker 3). Dee makes it very clear from the start she has changed very much and wants to escape from the treacherous path of how her mother and sister are living. However, she does change her name to an african styled name. Dee changes her name to “Wangero,” which shows she wants to leave the past, but still wants to stay true to her descent, and live in that fantasy of how she beleives she should show off her

Walker uses an abundance of ways to create vivid images throughout the story, “...my skin like an uncooked barley pancake” (1). That line is immensely significant because it is one of the first lines in which the main character allows the audience to know she is African American. it also sets the scene and helps the reader to understand why Walker is misspelling words. Walker also uses a great deal of animals to the characterize the characters in the story. For example, Walker uses this quote to portray Maggie's personality, “Have you ever seen a lame animal, perhaps a dog run over by some careless person rich enough to own a car, sidle up to someone who is ignorant enough to be kind to him? That is the way my Maggie walks. She has been like this, chin on chest, eyes on ground, feet in shuffle, ever since the fire that burned the other house to the ground” (Walker 2). The way Walker illustrates Maggie as a, “lame dog”, shows the readers Maggie's persona, and how she is overlooked, and outshined by her older sister. Walker uses other animals to identify each characters